David Johnson joins the Arkansas staff from Florida State, where he coached the Seminoles running backs and served as the program’s recruiting coordinator since 2020. He has had at least one player selected in each of the last seven NFL Drafts (2018-24).
Florida State’s rushing attack led the ACC in yards per game this past season, averaging 218.7 yards while scoring a league-best 31 rushing touchdowns.
While at Florida State, Johnson helped build the Seminoles back into a national power in 2023 when the team went 13-0 during the regular season, including an ACC Championship. The Seminoles averaged 34.6 points per game – bolstered by 20 different players scoring at least one touchdown to match a program record – and ranked 18th in the country. The Seminoles also led the ACC with 61 total touchdowns scored, including 32 on the ground. Trey Benson finished the season with 1,133 all-purpose yards to go with 14 rushing touchdowns and one receiving score. His 14 rushing TDs total tied for seventh on FSU’s single-season list and ranked second in the ACC and 15th nationally that year. Lawrance Toafili earned ACC Championship Game MVP after running for a career-high 118 yards, including a career-long 73-yard run, and the go-ahead touchdown in Florida State’s 16-6 victory.
Johnson’s running backs contributed to one of the most explosive offenses in the nation in 2022 while helping lead FSU to a 10-3 record and a final ranking of No. 10 in the Coaches Poll and No. 11 in the AP poll. Florida State led the nation averaging 7.5 plays of 20-plus yards per game, the program’s highest season average since the 2013 national championship season. The team’s 214.1 rushing yards per game were the most by a FSU team since 1995, fueled by eight games of 200+ yards rushing, including seven consecutive to end the regular season.
Prior to Florida State, Johnson coached at Tennessee for two years, leading the Volunteers’ wide receivers in 2018 before taking of the team’s running backs in 2019. He coached alongside Silverfield at Memphis during the 2016-17 seasons as the Tigers’ wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator. He developed former walk-on Anthony Miller into a consensus All-American in 2017 after Miller led the country with 18 receiving touchdowns, ranked third with 1,462 receiving yards and fifth with 96 receptions.
Johnson spent four seasons at Tulane coaching running backs and tight ends. The Green Wave played in the team’s first bowl game in over a decade in 2013 when RB Orleans Darkwa earned MVP honors in the New Orleans Bowl after scoring three touchdowns. Johnson also developed a pair of Freshman All-Americans in RB Sherman Badie and TE Charles Jones.
Johnson began his coaching career at his alma mater, John F. Kennedy HS in Louisiana, as the team’s wide receivers and tight ends coach before becoming the offensive coordinator at O. Perry Walker HS (La.). He got his first taste of college football at Millsaps College for four seasons (2005-08) as the wide receivers and tight ends coach. He returned to high school football in 2009 when he began a successful stint as the head coach at St. Augustine HS (La.). During his time at St. Augustine, he coached future NFL players and All-Americans Tyrann Mathieu and Leonard Fournette Jr.
Throughout his career, he has coached 19 all-conference players who have earned a combined 29 all-conference honors, including Special Teams Player of the Year.
Johnson played at Nicholls State, where he earned All-Southland Conference honorable mention as a wide receiver in 1992 and again as a wide receiver and punt returner in 1993. He led the Colonels in each of those seasons, combining for 50 receptions for 990 yards and eight touchdowns over those two years.
Johnson and his wife, Akeia, have two sons – Jermaine and Karaaz – and one daughter – De’Von.
The Johnson File
Birthdate: August 7, 1971
Hometown: New Orleans, La.
High School: John F. Kennedy HS (La.)
College: Nicholls State, 1995
Family: Wife – Akeia; Sons – Jermaine and Karaaz; Daughter – De’Von
Coaching Experience
1997-99 John F. Kennedy HS (La.) – Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
2000-04 O. Perry Walker HS (La.) – Offensive Coordinator/Wide Receivers
2005-08 Millsaps College – Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
2009-11 St. Augustine HS (La.) – Head Coach
2012-15 Tulane – Running Backs/Tight Ends
2016-17 Memphis – Wide Receivers/Passing Game Coordinator
2018 Tennessee – Wide Receivers
2019 Tennessee – Running Backs
2020-25 Florida State – Running Backs/Recruiting Coordinator
Playing Experience
1991-93 Nicholls State
